Bobbin-clutching means for rotatable spindles.



No. 783,698. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. G. W. KNIGHT 6; P. E. MGCULLOUGH.BUBBIN OLUTGHING MEANS FOR ROTATABLE SPINDLBS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1904.

rarer arenr Patented February 28, 1905.

. GEORGE W. KNlGI-ll AND PETER. l NloUULLOtlt-lll, OF l-IOPEDALE, lvlAS-SACHUSE'JYIS, ASSIG-NORS TO SJWVY ER SPINDLE ((JhlPANL', A (,l()ltl()-RATION OF MAlNE.

BOBBlN ELUTWHlMG WllE-Ifltlhltt FUW l tw fl tllb dfitti tlil lllllflltuhl u SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. "183,698,dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed November 10, 1904. Elerial No. 232,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Gnonen W. Kuieirr and Pn'rnn E. MoCULLoUen,citizens of the United States, residing at lilo iedale, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inBob- 'bin-Ulutching Means for Rotatable Spindles, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novelcentrifugally-acting bobbinclutching means for spinning and other rotatable spindles, whereby a yarn-carrier or bobbin is held securely inplace upon and rotati'id with the spindle by or through the operation ofcentrifugal force.

in our present invention a plurality of centrifugally-acting clutchingmembers are arranged synnnetrically about the spindle and connectedtherewith at their lower ends only, the upper ends of said members beingfree to move outwardly a limited distance, governed by means acting uponthe members at their lower ends.

The construction is simple, cheap to manufacture, and tl'ioroughlyefficient, the various novel features contained in our invention beingfully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointedout in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rotatable spindle havingbobbin-clutching means em bodying one form of our invention, a portionof a bobbin being shown in section in proper position on the spindle.Fig. 2 is a similar view, but partly in section and with one of theclutch members removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on theline 3, Fig. 2, looking-down, but with the clutching members and theretaining device therefor omitted. Fig. 4.- is a perspective view of aclutch member, showing its outer face. Fig. 5 is an inner face viewthereof, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged diametrical sectional detail to showmore clearly the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2..

o haveherein shown our invention as applied to a r tatablo spinning-snndle A, having a whirl W, provided with an upturned sleeve "10,connecting it with the spindle, an elongated collar a surrounding thelower part of the spindle adjacent and projecting above the head wa ofthe sleeve 11:. The head ve is merely an annular enlargement of thesleeve at its upper end and provided with an upturned annularretaining-[iange w, whereby a circular seat is formed concentric withthe spindle and between said flange and the collar a.

As shown in Fig. 3, a series of separators are provided to divide theseat into several symmetrical segments, and these simai'ators areconveniently formed by radial pins 1, driven through the flange m andinto the collar (1, three of the separators being herein shown.

One of the clutch members is shown separately in Figs. .1: and 5 andcomprises an elongated body 2, segmental in cross action and having anoutturned foot 3 at its lower end, the head 4 being curved or convexlongitudinally.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the inner face of the clutchmember reeessod at 5 to receive the spindle and at (J to [it looselyaround the collar 1/, and it may be stated that this enlargement may bean integral part of the spindle instead of a collar driven thereon. Thefeet 2-5 lit loosely in the circular seat in the head wa aroundthespindle and are held properly separated from each other by theseparators l, as will be manifest, the several clutch members looselyembracing the spindle, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and being verticallysupported on their feet 5. A retail'iing device now applied to retainthe clutch members in position and to limit the radial movement of theirupper ends when thrown outward by centrifugal force d no to rotation ofthe spindle. This retaining device we have shown as a ring or collar 7,adapted to be forced, with a driving it onto the out side of the flangeon and adjacent peripheral portion of the head wa and having at its upper end an inturned annular flange 5%, which overhangs the outspreadfeet 3 of the clutch members.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6, the operative portion of the retainingdevice will be clearly seen, a slight clearance being left between theunder face of the flange 8 and the upper faces of the feet 3 and betweenthe inner edge of the flange and the bodies of the clutchmembers. Theseclearance spaces permit the clutch members to tip or rock slightly upontheir feet, so that their upper ends or heads can move toward and fromthe spindle, and when the latter is at rest the clutch members standsubstantially upright and close to the spindle, as in Figs. 2 and 6. Vhen the spindle rotates, the heads of said members are thrown outward,as in Fig. 1, and firmly engage the walls of the chamber 5 in the bobbinB, causing the latter to be rotated by the spindle, yet permitting theremoval or application of the bobbin with perfect ease while the spindleis running at speed. The flange 8 serves also as a bobbin-rest, as willbe manifest in Fig. 1, vertically supporting the bobbin at the properheight on the spindle.

Rotation of the clutch members in unison with the spindle is secured bythe separators 1. Said clutch members can readily be stamped, struck up,or otherwise shaped from metal of suitable thickness, theirexternallyconveXed heads guiding the bobbin when applied to the spindleand permitting the mouth of the chamber 6 to contract the heads of theclutch members as the bobbin is pushed down to its seat or rest 8.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a rotatable spindle, of a plurality ofcentrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members mounted upon it and bodilyrotatable therewith, and means acting upon the lower ends only of saidmembers to retain them in position and prevent lifting movement thereofwhile permitting limited radial movement of their free upper ends.

2. The combination, with a rotatable spindle, of a plurality ofcentrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members mounted upon it and bodilyrotatable therewith, each of said members having an outturned foot atits lower end, and means to cooperate with the feet and retain saidmembers in position while permitting radial movement of their upperends.

3. The combination, with a rotatable spindle having an attached annularand concentric seat, of a plurality of upright and elongatedbobbin-clutching members symmetrically arranged about the spindle andeach having a segmental, outturned foot at its lower end resting in theseat, and overhanging means to act upon the feet of said members andretain them seated while permitting them to tip or rock by or throughthe action of centrifugal force.

4. The combination, with a rotatable spin- I dle, of a plurality ofcentrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members mounted thereupon andarranged symmetrically around it, means to separate said memberslaterally and cause their bodily rotation with the spindle, and meansacting upon the lower ends only of said clutching members to looselyconfine and retain them in position on the spindle while permittingradial movement of their free upper ends, said means preventing liftingmovement of the clutching members.

5. The combination, with a rotatable spindle, having an attached annularbobbin-rest, of a plurality of symmetrically-arranged bobbin-clutchingmembers loosely surrounding the spindle and free at their upper ends,each of said members having at its lower end an outwardly-extended footprojecting beneath the bobbinrest, the latter thereby retaining saidmembers in position and permitting them to tip or rock by centrifugalaction.

6. The combination, with a rotatable spindle having an attached annularand concentric seat, separators to divide the seat into equal segmentalportions, and an annular bobbinrest overhanging the seat, of a pluralityof centrifugally acting bobbin clutching members surrounding the spindleand each having an outturned foot to project loosely beneath thebobbin-rest and enter one of the segmental portions of the seat, thecooperation of the feet and the bobbin-rest confining the clutchingmembers at their lower ends while permitting limited radial movement oftheir free upper ends.

7. The combination, with a rotatable spindle having a whirl and anattaching-sleeve provided with a head having an upturned, peripheralflange concentric with the spindle, of a plurality of elongated,centrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members symmetrically arrangedaround the spindle, each member having an outturned foot resting on thehead within its flange, and a collar secured to the head and having aninturned, annular flange overhanging the feet, to retain the clutchingmembers in place and also serving as a bobbin-rest.

8. A centrifugally-actingbobbin-clutching member for rotatable spindles,having an elongated body segmental in cross section, an outturned footat its lower end, and a head having its external face longitudinallyconvex, as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination, with a rotatable spindle, of a plurality ofcentrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members mounted upon it and bodilyrotatable therewith, and means positively cooperating with the lowerends only of said members to prevent upward movement thereof and permitradial rocking movement thereof about their said lower ends.

10. The combination, with a rotatable spindle, of a plurality ofcentrifugally-acting bobbin-clutching members, bodily rotatable thereWith, means to vertically support the lower names to this specificationin the presence of ends of said members and permit them to rock radiallyabout fulcra at their lower ends, and

means positively cooperating with such lower two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE W. KNIGHT. PETITER E. MCCULLOUG-H.

Witnesses:

GEORGE OTIS DRAPER, ERNEST W. Wool).

